N01424:29
Insanabilia. An essay upon incurables; handling that case, What shall people do under their…
Insanabilia. An essay upon incurables; handling that case, What shall people do under their griefs, when there is no curing of them? And aimed at the comfort and counsel of the many, who encounter those grievous things, for which there is no remedy but patience. : [One line epigram in Latin]Insanabilia. An essay upon incurables; handling that case, What shall people do under their griefs, when there is no curing of them? And aimed at the comfort and counsil of the many, who encounter those grievous things, for which there is no remedy but patience. : [One line epigram in Latin]
Boston: printed by T. Fleet for Samuel Gerrish, 1714
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Secondly. There is a Variety of more particular Circumstances in our state of Life, which will cause Grief unto us; but the Grievous Things will be found such as cannot be Cured. In the Course of Life, we must meet with many Things, which we could very much wish were otherwise than they are. But our Wish will signify nothing; 'Tis to no purpose to Propound it. We read, Eccl. I. 15. That which is Crooked cannot be made Straight; and that which is wanting cannot be Numbered. There are Grievous Things, which the Decree of God has assigned for us, and Sorrows which He distributes in His Anger: A Decree which cannot be Revoked, cannot be Resisted; ⟨p. 23⟩there is no contending with it. Who can pretend unto the Numbering of them?
Secondly. There is a Variety of more particular Circumstances in our state of Life, which will cause Grief unto us; but the Grievous Things will be found such as cannot be Cured. In the Course of Life, we must meet with many Things, which we could very much wish were otherwise than they are. But our Wish will signify nothing; 'Tis to no purpose to Propound it. We read, Eccl. I. 15. That which is Crooked cannot be made Straight; and that which is wanting cannot be Numbred. There are Grievous Things, which the Decree of God has assign'd for us, and Sorrows which He distributes in His Anger: A Decree which cannot be Revoked, cannot be Resisted; ⟨p. 23⟩there is no contending with it. Who can pretend unto the Numbring of them?
First. We may have our Bodily Infirmities, which may be Grievous Diseases. But can they not be Cured? No; There comes that Message unto us from Heaven concerning them, Thou shalt use many Medicines, and thou shalt not be Cured. We must lye under the Grief, as long as we are in the Body. Old Age will be full of such Ails. Multa Senem—. Rarely can the Old Man say as he, I find nothing amiss, which Old Age may be accused of. Ah, Dim-sighted Old Man, whose trembling Hands lean on the Staff, whose Appetite flags, and whose Memory fails; There is no Curing of Threescore Years and Ten!